The Magic of Reading
By Mark W.F. Condon, Unite for Literacy vice president, and Jean Anne Clyde, EdD
“If you want reading, storytelling, and the amazing world of the imaginations to be a part of your child’s very being, if you want books to be part of the air she breathes, read early and often. You’ll have a baby who’s never known—and can’t imagine—a world without books.”
S. Straub, K.J. Dell’Antonio, & R. Payne
Avid lifelong readers learned early on that all “read alouds” are not equal. Think back to your learning-to-read days, when classmates were grouped by ability. If you were unfortunate enough to be in the “low” reading group, you endured what seemed like a lifetime of halting, lifeless reading as you and the other kids in your group suffered through “round robin” reading. Each reader awaited their turn to read out loud, then checked out in relief once their performance was over. And none of those read alouds did anything to inspire the members of the group to choose to read on their own once their agony subsided.
Meanwhile, 19-month-old Katelin is so in love with books that when any adult comes to visit she heads straight for the bookshelf to gather her latest favorites. Then she toddles over and plunks down next to the newcomer. “Read!,” she gleefully insists, while sharing an impish smile. She believes everyone loves books as much as she does.
How did Katelin come to be such a fan of books? What experiences has she had that older struggling readers have missed out on? How do we bring every child Katelyn’s age into the enduring personal magic of good books?
How to grow avid readers
When we ask moms and dads of avid young readers what they’ve done to inspire their little ones to fall in love with books, it turns out they have many strategies in common. Most began reading to their children when they were newborns, some even when they were in the womb. (Experts say that your baby is listening.)
At first, some new parents feel silly talking, let alone reading to a squirming bundle who spends most of the day sleeping. But like Katelyn’s family, they fall in love with those intimate moments, watching for evidence of their child’s favorites. A baby’s focus, vocalizations, smiles, reaches for pages are clues for parents to help them choose books that keep their littles ones engaged and avoid books that don’t.
Parents can generate interest and enthusiasm for books in many ways. They can use animated voices and dramatic facial expressions—wide eyes, gaping mouths, raised eyebrows and other grand gestures—to convey the emotions of stories. They also can initiate abundant child-friendly conversations about how they might connect with a book, like:
Share genuine responses that capture the child’s interests in the content of stories, as well as eye-opening non-fiction books. “Wow, look at all those octopus legs! How does he walk on all those legs?”
Pause briefly from time to time to discuss story events and connect characters’ responses to children’s lives. “Oh no! Trixie’s bunny is missing! Remember when we couldn’t find Woofy?”
Make time to talk about interesting story events or surprising discoveries about the world and its peoples. “Billy has a fossil like the one in this book. His daddy says it’s very old. Do you want to look for one in our yard?”
Make time for daily “lap readings” because it’s a time to demonstrate for young children how capable readers combine a book’s text with illustrations and a reader’s own experience to bring a book fully to life. When a loving family member settles in to read a book that a child has selected, their interactions add another layer to a new reader’s understandings of the delightful benefits of reading. The magic of books becomes apparent, and little ones learn that it can be found within every book’s pages.
Daily book reading, by even very young children, help the depth and breadth of their language expand, not just in reading but in self-expression. You can spot a child a mile away who has been read to. Little ones who are “talking” away in their not-yet-recognizable language are clearly engaged in communicating. And what’s fun is to watch how families respond to their children’s utterances, completely assured that the baby’s “language” is meaning filled.
Baby talk is meaningful
Something akin to “nana” is blurted out and Dad gets the message. While “Nana” could refer to the baby’s grandmother, in the context of the grocery store, Dad makes a different prediction. “Oh, you want a banana? Look, they’re right over there.” Language gleaned from book reading is spilling out into their daily lives.
Eventually, phrases from favorite books begin to pop up in daily conversations, too, and you may smile, recognizing their origin. Five-year-old Adam chose a unique way to get his grandfather’s attention while waiting outside the bathroom door. He knocked, calling loudly, “Grandpa, Grandpa, let me come in, or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in!” (Grandpa, still busy in the bathroom, laughed out loud!)
Make the most of illustrations
When children choose a new-to-them book, try introducing it by inviting them to look closely at its cover and first few illustrations to get a sense of the book’s potential for them. “Let’s see what this one’s about,” we can say. “What do you see?” Chatting about what a child notices can pique curiosity about the book and encourage speculation about the story, providing a reason to read.
“Picture walks” like these can inspire your little one to cuddle up in a favorite spot with a book and read. Or they may use a book’s illustrations to create a story for a book when they’re not yet able to read its words.
And lively reading that includes engaging gestures and finger-pointing to a book’s objects or characters also make a world of difference. Two-and-a-half year old Hugo and his twin brother Finn are obsessed with all things “trucks.” When reading Good Night Construction Site (Rinker 2011) to them, Daddy points to each vehicle as he reads: “Crane truck, dump truck, bulldozer, cement mixer.” In this bedtime story, each vehicle has a role to play at the construction site. Hugo is particularly taken with the “excavator,” pausing during the reading to paw through their toy box for a match. “ET-uh-vay-ter!,” he exclaims. “You found it!,” Daddy affirms, and they study the vivid illustrations of the many kinds of holes the large scoop can dig.
Getting children to the point of independently choosing to pick up a book and enjoy it alone is a huge step toward daily, self-directed reading and learning.
Create a special place for books
Establish a special space for your children’s books, one that is easily accessible so little ones can retrieve books themselves. Just like other playthings, place books within their reach and near the rest of their toys. “Let’s put your books right here, so you can always find your favorites.” This is a simple way to communicate that their books are valuable and always available for them to enjoy.
What if children abandon a book?
As young readers add books to their daily play, they might abandon a book unfinished. Seeing this happen, an older sibling or parent might volunteer to read it aloud, but if the child wants to do something else, no worries. It’s okay that they set a book aside. We want to ensure a future where each youngster finds homerun books for themselves and “reads” them when they’re inspired to do so. Observing the kinds of choices kids make will help us suggest books that they will enjoy.
Make quiet times a time for books
Some parents invite their young children to choose a favorite stuffed animal while they nap. What if their routine included choosing a favorite book, too? Pairing a book with a cherished stuffed animal signals how comforting and treasured both can be for a child. After naptime, if you listen carefully, sometimes you may find your little one “reading” to their animals, reflecting their newly developing vocabulary. You’ll enjoy hearing how much of the story they’ve absorbed, conveying it all through their use of intonation, volume, and voice. They’ve been listening carefully to those lively elements of your read alouds.
Soon children will seek to take control of their own reading places at their own times. They will start bringing their favorite stories and informational books to you, requesting some together reading time, or sharing a new book they’ve discovered, no longer satisfied by only being beckoned by adults to read.
Children can become book lovers, working wonders in their heads and hearts, inspired by what they read. They can be readers who are always on the lookout for a library or a bookstore. Readers who are continually seeking out books that express their curiosities, interests, and values. Readers who easily become so lost in the magic of books that they naturally grow into a lifetime of learning.